Archive for the ‘Brazil’

Businessmen and entrepreneurs are always attempting to plant the seeds of businesses that will flourish and carry on their legacies long after they’re gone. When Mauricio Sirotsky Sobrinho joined Radio Gaucha in 1957, and later started the RBS Group (Grupo RBS) to purchase Radio Gaucha, little did he know he was beginning a 60 year legacy.

Mauricio’s philosophy was to keep open to an ever changing world and rapid technological developments while holding in sight the trials of the human condition and a focus on bringing communities together. When he passed in 1986 his business legacy was carried on first by his brother, Jayme Sirotsky, who later passed RBS Group’s presidency to Mauricio’s son, Nelson Sirotsky. Nelson successfully headed RBS for more than two decades before, in 2012, handing over control to his nephew, Eduardo Sirotsky Melzer better known as Duda Melzer.

Duda Melzer is the son of Mauricio’s daughter, Suzana Sirotsky, and was born in Porto Alegre Brazil on May 13th, 1972. As a young adult he was a studious pupil and earned a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from the Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and an MBA from Harvard University in the United States. Before joining one of Brazil’s most efficacious family businesses, Duda was the master franchisor of Sweet Sweet Way, a leading chain of candy kiosks and caramelerias in Brazil and Argentina. After departing the candy business, Duda spent a decade as the General Manager of BoxTop Media, a contemporary media company based in New York.

Duda first joined his family’s media and communications conglomerate in 2004 taking on the position of Director General for the Brazilian market. A little over a decade later Melzer now stands at the helm of his grandfather’s legacy both as Chairman and President of the RBS Group. As the third generation of the Sirotsky family to preside over one of Brazil’s largest media companies, Duda promises to follow RBS’ strategies and organizational cultures and to be a guarantor of his grandfather’s purpose and the continued values of the Sirotsky family.

Brazil is known for white sandy beaches, scantily clad dancers, the bright lights of Rio and the endless poverty in its big cities. Brazil is not known for women politicians. Dilma Rousseff broke that glass ceiling seven years ago when she became president, but the love affair with a woman president didn’t last long. Rousseff may be removed from office because of corruption allegations and fudging the facts about the state of the economy. Rousseff’s actions have not helped the women in Brazil that are fighting to become legitimate members of the political system, but a few women are still moving forward in spite of the Rousseff debacle.

One of those women is Luciana Lóssio, the attorney that thrives on legal challenges. Luciana Lóssio always wanted to be an attorney. It was the one occupation that she believed could make a difference in the political system in Brazil. Lóssio earned her law degree in 1999, and it didn’t take long for her to land a job with the Attorney General of the Republic. Lóssio made a name for herself while she worked for two Attorney Generals during her seven years there. Her job was to prosecute, and she was an effective prosecutor. Lóssio was also a skilled and articulate speaker that had the ability to get her points across under difficult circumstances.

Lóssio’s reputation spread across the country, and she was in demand for her electoral law knowledge and experience. When Arnaldo Versiani decided to leave the Superior Electoral Tribunal, Lóssio was nominated to replace him. The Superior Electoral Tribunal is composed of seven members. Two members are lawyers, and five are judges. The members have always been men, but the nomination of Lóssio puts an end to the all-male Tribunal.

Luciana Lóssio has the experience and the knowledge to help bring order to the electoral system in Brazil. Brazil is known for its phony voting system. The voting system is the main concern of the Superior Electoral Tribunal. The mission of the Tribunal is to make the election process legitimate, and that is not a simple task. For years, voting in Brazil has been tainted by corruption, and that continues even though the corruption is well known.

Eduardo Sirotsky Melzer or Duda Melzer, as he is known, has certainly seen many opportunities in business as he has worked for some top notch companies in both the United States and in Brazil. On his journey to become the savvy businessman that he is today, he also worked hard to become highly educated.

Before coming to the United States and attending Harvard, Duda graduated with a bachelors degree in Business Administration from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul. After he finished his bachelor’s degree he enrolled at Harvard where he earned his Master’s degree in 1998.Upon completion of his education, Melzer could have joined a family business in Brazil, however he chose to start his career with another company and learn finances through the Sweet Sweet Way. All of these jobs helped Duda prepare to go back to Brasil to take on the challenge of running a family run business RBS Group.

He joined RBS Group in 2004 as Director General. Duda is a third generation family memeber to run the company, which was started by his grandfather. Duda became CEO of the company in July of 2012, taking over for his uncle. He treats his employees like family, and regularly meets and speaks with them to answer questions about the company and inform them of future events.

Apart from all the work he does as CEO of RBS Group, Duda in his spare time enjoys sports, but is most fond of racing. He often works his schedule around racing.

So Brazil’s President Dilma has been suspended, now what? Is Brazil a safe investment? Listen to what Brazilian banking expert Igor Cornelsen thinks about Brazilian investing going forward…

Why Was Dilma Suspended?

Corruption was the charge that got Dilma suspended, but why was a man who was also being investigated allowed to replace Dilma: Vice President Michel Temer. Does something smell fishy?

Brazilians have increased their expectations as a member of the BRICS. Unfortunately, the economy declined under Dilma. When Dilma too office in January 2011, the currency exchange rate was 1.0 Brasil real to 0.60 US dollars. In April 2016, the currency exchange rate was 1.0 Brasil real to 0.28 United States dollars. Thus, part of the cause for Dilma’s suspension might have been poor economic performance.

Did Brazil Suffer in 2008?

In 2008, the United States told the world that Capitalism was about to collapse if the bankers were not bailed out. The global capital markets froze up. How bad was the crisis in Brasil?

The truth is that Brazil fared better than many nations for one simple reason: Brazil banks did not purchase toxic American mortgage-backed securities (MBS). While there were fewer foreign investors in Brazil, the banking sector was quite well-insulated.

Understanding Brazilian Banking

Brazil’s Native Son Cornelsen has explained the ins-and-outs of Brazilian banking through a PR Newswire release found here. A nation’s banking sector is a microcosm of the culture. Brazil simply has its own way of doing things.

While the United States was starting its Civil War, Brazil was starting its Caixa Economica Federal in 1861. Caixa is the public bank responsible for unemployment insurance, Bolsa Familia and 70% of the nation’s mortgages. The Brazilian banking market has a high upside, according to Igor Cornelsen.

More on Brazilian Investing:

At the beginning of his career, Marcio Alaor was only a shoe shiner. He worked for the executives of BMG bank and worked very hard at shining their shoes. Despite the position, which clearly did not hold much clout, he was very proud of his job and was very proud of the work that he did. He had a strong work ethic that he took with him on a daily basis to his shoe shining job. This strong work ethic eventually paid off and allowed him to begin building the success that he now has today.

While shining shoes, according to the article from exame.com, Marcio Alaor met a man named Dr. Wilmar who took an interest in him. He saw how hard the young man worked and wanted to reward him for the hard work, but he did not want him to stop working hard just because he had been handed something that many people had to work very hard for. He offered him an entry-level position at the bank that he worked for. This bank was the BMG bank and would become one of the biggest in Brazil in just a short period of time.

The success that Marcio Alaor had while working for BMG bank was similar to the success that he has experienced throughout his life. This success, while many may say it is owed to good luck, is actually owed to a strong desire to be able to succeed and a will that just won’t give up. Marcio Alaor knows that it is all about success and what he can do to keep pushing even after he has achieved the success that he was previously working for. It was not luck that made him who he is, it was a strong will and a desire to be the most successful.

When looking at the growth of the BMG bank, Marcio Alaor always looks toward the people who show the same strong work ethic that Dr. Wilmar saw in him. He knows how to tell someone who wants to succeed apart from someone who is just there to perform his or her duties. When he sees someone who shows this type of work ethic, he does not just hand them a position, he works with them to give them the success that they can achieve in combination with the strong work ethic that they have at BMG.

The owner of BMG bank, Ricardo Guimarães, has built his bank from the bottom up. He has worked to make the bank one of the top in his country and one of the most recognizable in the world. While you may know the name and recognize the face, there are a few things you may not know about him.

He started at the bank. Guimarães started his career at the BMG bank in 1980. This was his first banking opportunity and was the first part of his career right out of college. He made sure that he did his best while he worked at the bank and this was what was the driving factor behind the way that he was able to get promoted at the bank. This was something that proved to be a very fundamental decision.

He built it up. The bank was a simple bank when he started there. While it was not necessarily a very small bank, it was something that was more of a simple option than other banks in the country and around the world at that time. He made sure that he was able to use his skills and abilities to improve the bank. He brought it up from the bottom and was able to grow the bank from where it stood when he started. Not only did he grow the bank, but he also grew his career while he was working for the bank.

He took a great risk. The bank was not a failing bank when he became the owner, but he had never been the owner of a bank when he purchased it. This was something that stood as somewhat of a risk and proved to be a risk that was well worth taking for Ricardo Guimarães. This was an excellent option and he could not pass it up, but Guimarães still took a risk in purchasing the bank. These types of risks are what allowed him to improve himself and the bank during the time that he was an entity of the bank.

He made it vastly improved. While the bank had consistently thrived while Ricardo Guimarães worked for it, it became even more influential and profitable after he took it over as the owner of the bank. There were many things that he was able to do as the owner that he had not been able to do as the executive financial officer. He made the bank more profitable, gave better opportunities to the customers of the bank and made it one of the top banks in the world. People consistently choose the BMG bank because of what Ricardo Guimarães has done to make it a better bank.

The automotive industry is attracting more and more investors into the stock exchange. Despite the recent scandals that have affected the big wigs, there is evidence investment there brings in the needed revenue. MarcioAlaor, the vice president of Banco BMG, gave a brief view of the numbers in a recent interview.
MarcioAlaour gave a history of motor manufacturer going public starting with General Motors, which went public in 1915.It was before people thought that possible. It is today valued at $ 53.52 billion .Ford Motors announced its IPO in 1956.It was the greatest at the time and attracted 600 million calls. It was an already established company with a well-known brand. Its IPO was hence a hot cake in the market.
Initial public offering or IPO as is commonly known is where by a company floats shares in the stock exchange to the public for the 1st time. It is the 1st process of turning a private company to a corporation. It helps an organization raise funds. According to Marcio Alaor, Ferrari recently floated an IPO that saw its stock increase in value by 5% to $ 10 billion. According to data published by Marcio some French motor manufacturers have seen their stock value rise by an average of 50%.Others like Tesla have stock valued at more than $ 211 apiece. It shows motoring companies continue to perform well.
Marcio Alaor is the Vice President if Banco BMG.It is Brazil’s largest consigned Credit lender. It has over 5 million customers and growing fast. It has also built a network of over 3000 points of sale terminals with over 50000 agents around the country. In the consigned market category; it controls 80% of the market. The market is currently about 50% penetrated. It is a segment 62 other banks are fighting for the remaining share.
Banco BMG has been in existence fir the last 85 years. It has served Brazil since 1930.The Guimares family owns it, and Ricardo Guimares is its president. It is affiliated with BMG group based in Hollad.It uses its international connections to float bonds in the international market and get money to expand its operations. It is also the biggest corporate sponsor in Brazil currently. It sponsors many football clubs including Santos. It is also the official sponsor of Marcelo Melo, the Tennis prodigy.

Igor Cornelsen is an entrepreneur and also a retired banker. Currently, he is working with Bainbridge Group that specializes in stock and commodity markets as well as foreign exchange investment. In essence, Igor Cornelsen is an expert in all those fields. He became prominent back in Brazil when he was recognized as the country’s top banker. He was managing some of the largest banks in Brazil. Additionally, he assisted government agencies to manage large percentage of the entire economy of Brazil. Currently, he is working as a consultant expert for both investing and banking industry. His experience spans from working in financial sector throughout his career.

Igor Cornelsen understands the investing industry very well and is a champion investor. He can advice investors the best company and commodity to invest their funds. In fact, Cornelsen has guided many investors to make successful long term investments. Moreover, he has advised investors to steer away from investing their hard earned funds in damaged companies, and instead focus on damaged stocks. These are stocks that can be bought on the cheap and are guaranteed to earn returns and pay off dividends in the long run.

Igor Cornelsen has been advising investors on the need to make long term investments. According to him investors that are not committed to long term investment strategies will never succeed. Many people have the perception that investing in stock is the same as playing a lottery is quite ridiculous. Igor Cornelsen is a long term investor and his presence in the industry is to earn profits that would last over his entire life. In this case, investing is a career path that investors should be prepared to do for many years to come in order to earn high rate return on investment. Investors can at times make returns of up to 500 percent if they are prepared to remain in the market for life.

The first thing investors should focus on is to change their perception about the stock market. It is not a place to earn quick cash or a place to get rich quickly, but rather a place to invest intelligently in order to earn major return on investment in future. Additionally, investors should be ready to make several small investments, instead of focusing on single and large investment. This is a major mistake investors make by over committing their funds in one specific stock. This is not a wise decision if they want to be successful as Igor Cornelsen.

Cornelsen is currently residing in South Florida, a perfect place to enjoy his golf hobby, which has utilized most of his retirement time. At this place he enjoys some of the best golf courses in the world. Additionally, he provides investment advice to new and inexperienced investors.

Just as Brazil boasts a proud multi-cultural community, its legal market currently is considered “sophisticated and mature.” There are large elite firms traditionally recognized as full-service leaders in the market. There also are a significant representation of boutique firms alternatively chosen over the large firms for their areas of specialization. The traditional medium size and small Brazilian firms have a strong presence, however, foreign firms may be applying annoying competitive pressure on the Brazilian legal market, and this is an irony. A closing commentary made in an Economist article titled, Foreign Law Firms Keep Out, shows both sides of this subtle skirmish:

“There is a further twist to the tale. ‘The people behind this were battling on behalf of their clients to open up Brazil’s economy to the world in the 1990s,’ says one disillusioned foreigner. ‘So it’s ironic that now they’re trying to protect their own turf.’” www.economist.com/node/18867851, June 23, 2011

Despite this crowding out effect, Brazil’s legal market will retain its client bases that correlate to the level of marketing effort put forth by Brazilian firms and client satisfaction because it would be embarrassing not to do so.

When Ricardo Tosto De Oliveira Carvalho organized his plan for success many years ago and entered Sao Paolo’s Mackenzie Presbyterian University School of Law, recognized for its excellence in teaching, this type of market defense probably was unfanthomable in his mind. He was preoccupied with legal studies. On beginning the practice of law, Ricardo Tosto, joined a small firm. It took no time for him to become a rising young attorney. He later made the decision to next join a large corporate firm. Today, with over 22 years in the practice of law, he has earned the reputation of a top Brazilian lawyer. His plan succeeded.

Now, Ricardo Tosto is the founder of Leite Tosto e Barros Advogados, a prominent Brazilian law firm, and he is a recognized leader and strategist in legal practice. He places an emphasis on being a credible individual, professional and attorney. His firm specializes in banking, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and civil litigation. His interns know him as a mentor.

Ricardo Tosto is active in national and international bar associations and a member of the Law Firms and Partnerships Research Centre. He is a former president of São Paulo OAB Commission for Modernisation of the Judiciary and also a founding member of the Brazilian Institute for Electoral and Party Law Research. Ricardo Tosto has written articles and reviews related to the legal practice; is a frequent speaker on legal topics at conferences and events.

For Ricardo Tosto, it’s business as usual, and his clients will agree.

When the Brazilian company Eucatex got started in the 1960s, the products that made them globally famous were ceiling tiles made from eucalyptus wood. Everyone knows eucalyptus trees grow in Australia, and their leaves are the main source of energy for slow moving koala bears. But not many people know that there are 700 species of eucalyptus trees, and 15 of those species grow in other parts of the world. Eucalyptus trees are found in the Americas, China, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Eucatex took advantage of the species that grows in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil and created some interesting products.

Eucatex started exporting ceiling tiles to Europe in the early days, but when Flavio Maluf became president in 1997, the product line took a giant leap into the 21st century. Eucatex began producing MDF and MDP panels, paint, furniture, varnishes, and doors. One of the furniture products that Maluf is especially proud of is Eucaboard. Eucaboard is used for the bottoms of furniture drawers, the back of cabinets, and for the lining the walls of commercial offices.

Using Eucaboard instead of the particle board that is used in some furniture has other advantages as well. It can be printed, and it also can be painted. Brazilian creativity is alive and thriving in furniture that is manufactured all over the world thanks to Maluf and Eucatex.